This patent application claims priority to United Kingdom (GB) patent application number 0107064.8 filed on Mar. 21, 2001.
The present invention relates to vehicle window regulators.
Vehicles are known which include passenger doors having windows with window glass which can be lowered to open the window and raised to close the window. The window glass is raised and lowered by a window regulator. The window regulator and associated guide rails must control the pitch, roll and yaw of the window glass and must also locate the window glass in the X (fore and aft) Y (lateral) and Z (vertical) directions.
Various window regulator mechanisms are known including single and dual arm regulators and single and twin cable operated regulators.
Modern vehicle side windows have curved glass (having an axis of curvature orientated substantially in the X direction) which when raised and lowered must be guided for rotation about the center of curvature of the glass. As such, when considering a side window on a car, the lower edge of the glass (where the window regulator is attached) must be allowed to move laterally relative to the vehicle. Window regulators must therefore allow for such lateral movement.
Furthermore, on some modern vehicles the window glass is designed to move slightly rearwardly as the window glass is closed. Again the window regulator must allow for this movement.
A problem with known window regulators is that a window regulator designed for a particular door is unlikely to be usable in a different door.
An object of the present invention to provide a window regulator which can be adapted for different installations.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a window regulator which is simple and reliable in operation.
The present invention meets these objects and comprises a vehicle window regulator with an elongate drive shaft. The drive shaft has a drive axis connected at spaced locations to a first and a second drive sprocket. Each drive sprocket is connected via a first and second toothed drive belt to respective first and second idler wheels. Each drive belt includes a cursor for connection to a window glass.